For this employee spotlight, we’d like to introduce you to our plant manager, Shane Hehir. Originally from Ireland, Shane moved to the U.S. in 2002 with his wife Jessica. They moved their adorable family from Florida to Duluth in 2013. Shane has been with us for two years and agreed to answer a few questions for you.  

Q&A with Shane Hehir

What is a typical day like for you?

I wake up and walk my two oldest daughters Ava (7½) and Sophia (6) to the bus stop. Then, I head to work. As a plant manager, I like routine, but daily activities change depending on circumstances, machine, people or building-related situations. Aside from ensuring we are on track with customer orders, there are the daily, weekly, monthly and quarterly tasks. These include things like inventory logs/adjustments, purchase orders, material requirements, QC reports for vendors and from customers, meetings, interviews, hiring, performance reviews, budgets etc. I often go home for lunch to eat with my youngest daughter Grace (4). This is a great tool for perspective and serious decision making! We try to eat dinner as a family when schedules allow. Our evening winds down early. We read bedtime stories on the couch. As we say good night, the girls always shout, “I love you, see you in the morning when the sun comes up!”

What is your favorite Loll product and why?

I like the Emmet Lounge Chair. It has a simple design – straight, simple lines. There is beauty in simplicity.

Describe an ideal day of lollygagging.

Watching back-to-back England Premier League Soccer (Manchester United winning, obviously) while enjoying a full Irish breakfast. A great nap on the couch in the afternoon and a bonfire in the evening. If I can fit a round of golf in, that would be excellent, too.

What is your favorite part about working for Loll?

The people. Definitely the people.

Tell us about a unique or quirky habit of yours.

I am O.C.D. about a few things. I like my food piping hot. Unless it’s an ice cream cone.

If you were on the front page of the paper, what might the headline read?

“Irish Man Eats Lion.”

If your life had a theme song, what would it be?

“You can’t always get what you want.” – The Rolling Stones. I dedicate this beauty to the Loll sales team!

What’s something you’ve learned in the last week?

S’mores were first created by Girl Scouts. That’s brilliant.

What’s the best advice you ever been given?

Before my father-in-law passed away and well before my wife Jess and I were engaged, he told me to settle arguments with a simple, “Yes, dear.” Now, on the rare occasion it needs to be said, we both crack up. It works.

Tell us a random fact about you.

I once caused a major shutdown of Munich Airport for security reasons. (Don’t ask. The headline says it all.)

What is your favorite kind of sandwich?

A great sandwich comes down to preparation. Anything can make a great filler. The key is to slice each layer thin and even. Then stack with the dry ingredients like cheese on the bottom and the wet, like tomatoes, in the middle. Some of my favorite fillers include French fries and cheese of any variety but even spaghetti can make a tasty sandwich. Yup, I said that! The best sandwiches are toasted in the oven under the broiler. Cut the sandwich in triangles. It makes for better dipping. I like a side of ketchup and mayo. You don’t want to toast a sandwich with those sauces on the inside but you do need to have the hot with the cold.